acidic

Everyday

1. Acidic describes something that contains acid or acts like an acid. tree →
2. Acidic food or drink tastes sour, like lemons or vinegar. tree →
3. In science, an acidic liquid has a pH lower than 7. tree →

In the lessons

In science pupils test liquids with indicator paper or red-cabbage water: acidic liquids turn the paper red or pink, neutral water stays green, alkaline liquids turn blue or purple. In everyday life lemon juice, vinegar and fizzy drinks are acidic, and acidic drinks can harm tooth enamel. Phrases: «acid rain», «acidic soil».

Examples

• Lemon juice is very acidic. tree →
• Vinegar tastes sour because it is acidic. tree →
• Fizzy drinks are acidic and can harm your teeth. tree →
• The indicator turned red, so the liquid was acidic. tree →
• Blueberries grow well in acidic soil. tree →
• Our stomach makes an acidic juice to help digest food. tree →
• Is soap acidic or alkaline? tree →

Note

Opposite: alkaline (or basic); in between: neutral (pH 7). Not every acidic thing is dangerous: lemon juice is safe, but strong acids in a lab burn the skin. A lower pH number means more acidic.